Abstract

Generations of American lawyers have been trained using the Socratic method, a pedagogical tool dating back to ancient Athens, although one that has been significantly customized by the legal academy. While the traditional law school form of the Socratic method is both overused and misused, a properly constructed Socratic questioning session allows students of all levels to strengthen their arguments and develop critical-thinking skills. This is true in both face-to-face and online classrooms. By adapting the Socratic method to new media, legal studies professors can guide their students through engaging conversations that will enrich their understanding of course concepts. While educational literature abounds with scholarship on both the Socratic method and distance learning, relatively few publications have addressed the intersection of the two. None have focused exclusively on how these impacts apply to the teaching of legal studies. The author begins by describing the Socratic method as developed by Socrates and as applied in modern legal studies classrooms. He then continues with a discussion of the development of online learning, particularly within the context of legal pedagogy. The article is concluded with an analysis of how the Socratic method can be effectively used in an online legal studies course.

Citation

Hlinak, M. (2014). The Socratic Method 2.0. Journal of Legal Studies Education, 31(1), 1-20. Retrieved August 6, 2024 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/191337/.

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Keywords

• College Instruction
• distance education
• electronic learning
• Law Related Education
• online courses
• Questioning Techniques
• teaching methods